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There are no strangers here, only friends you haven’t yet met.

From emerald isles cloaked in legend and shrouded in myth comes an unexpected find, an enchanting treasure of great worth. But it’s not in a pot at the end of a rainbow. Rather, you’ll find this prize in the oven. Indeed, ye lads and lassies, it’s actually a rediscovery of a timeless classic, a dear friend to get reacquainted with — shepherd’s pie.

Laughter is brightest where food is best.

No blarney, many a pint has fueled discussion of the differences between “shepherd’s pie” and “cottage pie” and why it’s even called a “pie” when the “crust” is made of mashed potatoes. Can a shepherd’s pie be made with chicken? Well, that’s the wee bit of magic you need to make Farmhouse Chicken Shepherd’s Pie. Potatoes, after all, were introduced to Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales. Why not chicken to shepherd’s pie? Janey Mac! This is history in the making.

Need teaches a plan.

The goal of a new take on shepherd’s pie is to maintain the simplicity and savory goodness but boost the health profile of the meal. Instead of lamb or beef, this new recipe features a lean protein choice and calls for chicken breasts. Mushrooms, red onions, garlic and fresh herbs build the flavor. The top crust — in an effort to include more veggie in addition to the peas — is a blend of mashed cauliflower and potatoes.

There is no fireside like your own fireside.

Sláinte mhaith! Serve this new classic with a fresh salad and hearty bread, and the meal fulfills the promise of the toast — good health. Linger, laugh and raise a glass to everything wonderful about shepherd’s pie.

And when dinner ends, as eventually it must, these words extend a gift to family and friends: May you have warm words on a cold evening, a full moon on a dark night and a smooth road all the way to your door.

Drifting soon through an open window near you.

You can see it. Smell it. Taste it. Yet it’s not always easy to put a finger on what makes one of humankind’s oldest cooking techniques so appealing. Different people have different reasons for loving smoked foods. For some, it’s tradition. For earlier generations, it was a valuable preservation technique. And for everyone who enjoys the simplicity — all you need are heat, wood and an enclosed space to protect the food, control airflow and concentrate the smoke — many more enjoy the subtleties of the process. But when the final embers have glowed their last, one fact remains. Smoking provides unsurpassed flavor.

A common pre-cooking step involves brining. The goal is to keep the chicken — the white meat in particular — as moist and tender as possible while it’s smoking. Both pre-cut chicken and whole birds can be brined, 2-4 hours for individual parts and as long as 8-12 hours for entire chickens (in the 3-3½ pound range). A basic brining solution is simply water and sea salt or kosher salt (1 cup salt to 1 gallon water), but you can also add sweeteners such as sugar or honey, dried or fresh herbs and spices. Just keep the meat fully submerged in the refrigerator while you’re brining the chicken, and discard the brining solution when you’re through with it.

Woods working.

The variety of wood and wood products available today for smoking has never been better. Nearly every hardware store, grocery store and cooking specialty shop offers a selection ranging from more mild in flavor (pear, apple, cherry) to stronger (hickory, oak, mesquite). Your choice of wood also influences the color of the finished food. Apple or cherry is a classic wood for smoking chicken, and you can find it in chunk, chip or pellet form. Often, wood chunks or chips are soaked in water ahead of time to produce smoke without catching fire and creating flames. And note, wood isn’t the only thing people use for smoking. Tea leaves are another option, even indoors.

You brined the birds overnight. You patiently tended the fire and kept an eye on the chickens throughout the day. Now it’s time to serve Rosemary-Peppercorn Brined Smoked Whole Chicken. Beautiful and full of flavor, this is pure smoked perfection. But wait. There’s something else you can do just before the chicken is done. An hour or so beforehand, add some veggies — halved red onions and beefsteak tomatoes, corn on the cob and fresh chiles. That’s all you need to make a simple, healthy side dish, Smoky Summer Solstice Salsa. And don’t forget about the sauce. To keep things easy, start with an off-the-shelf BBQ sauce, and make it your own with simple variations – Smoky Chipotle, Asian Zing, Tropical Zest, Sweet & Savory and North African Heat.

Want more information about smoking chicken? Those two search words yield more than 58 million results in Google. Another good resource is your county or university extension office, which often provide a wealth of information about food and cooking such as this flyer from Texas A&M. And of course, be sure and sample the local fare from the pitmasters in your region. Will they give up their secrets? Probably not, but with enough time and practice, you’ll start discovering secrets of your own.

Making a comeback.
Grandma and grandpa had things figured out. Take Sunday dinners, for example. For many families just a few generations ago, Sundays meant a big family meal, and more than one generation often sat down together. Family stories, humor and who’s-doing-what kept the conversation lively, and the personalities of old and young alike were on full display. And the meal itself? It often was the most special meal of the week, something that cooked for a while like a slowly-braised roast or crisply-roasted chicken.

Sundays in the modern generation are typically quite different. In many ways, Sundays are like the other days of the week — busy and plugged-in, full of distractions. But the idea of family rituals remains appealing, and a regular weekly meal is returning. And not just for nostalgia’s sake. Families are simply missing each other. It’s time to rediscover dinnertime.

Families that eat (and cook) together stay together.
Recent studies underscore the benefits for children in families that share meals together. Family meals boost better behavior, teach manners and let children practice talking to adults. Cooking together can also help promote core learning fundamentals like reading and math when kids measure ingredients, read instructions, set timers and monitor food safely. Even cleaning up afterwards can be fun and keep the conversation going, involving family members of any age.

Preparing food
Many hands make light the work.
When everyone contributes to the meal — from setting the table to shaking up the salad dressing — family meals get even sweeter. Teamwork supports a sense of belonging and creates a unique identity that provides security for kids.

So when’s the right time for a family meal? Anytime! Sunday dinners are great, but if Fridays are better for make-your-own-pizza meals, or Mondays for slow-cooker-soup night, go for it. No matter what it takes, keeping things simple helps weekly meals become routine. Ask the family to help for menu suggestions. Being part of the planning process lets everyone take some ownership in creating pleasurable meals.

Turkey on table
A traditional foundation for Sunday dinners.
A whole roasted chicken is probably one of the most recognizable symbols of a Sunday dinner, and few meats cross so many borders or cuisines with so many possibilities. A simple chicken has a presence for special occasions when roasted and served whole, ready to be carved at the table.

Another option for making the most of a whole chicken is cutting it apart yourself, either for certain recipes and also for making stock. Because a whole chicken is about the best bargain in the meat department, knowing the knife technique and where to cut is a good idea. As this step-by-step guide demonstrates, it’s an easy process to learn.

Who’s ready to sit down for supper? Cell phones are off. Work email can wait. What happened at school today? Really? That reminds me of a story.

What’s #1 at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue?
State dinners. Celebratory banquets. Working lunches. Private family meals. What the presidents, their families and staff have eaten at the White House for the more than 200 years it’s existed reveals a lot about American food culture and trends. From elegant to commonplace, meals at the White House reflect where presidents grew up, lived and traveled. In honor of our first president’s 285th birthday, pull up a chair for dinner with George and Martha.

From Dolley to Martha to you.
For more than 50 years, Martha Washington recorded and organized recipes in a cookbook. She gave it to a granddaughter, and after many years in the family, it became part of the permanent collection at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. In 1940, historian Mary Kimball studied the cookbook and published a version updated for more modern cooking.

One of the recipes Martha Washington recorded is a light, flavorful vegetable and chicken soup that she attributes to Dolley Madison, the wife of the fourth U.S. president, James Madison. If you’re new to okra, Southern Chicken Okra Soup is a great way to try it in combination with other healthy ingredients such as tomatoes, corn and lima or butter beans. You can find both the corn and okra (already sliced) in the frozen food section of your local grocery.

Did Dolley Madison ever serve her okra soup at the many banquets and social events she held in Washington, D.C.? That part of the story is unknown, but why not? It’s suitable for a fancy feast or a quiet weeknight dinner and is delicious anytime.

Who liked what?
History is full of presidential fun facts, including favorite foods. Take the famous foursome of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. Who ate an apple almost every day? Who loved onions? Who ate an entire chicken in one sitting? And who helped popularize macaroni and cheese in America?

Here are some hints. Washington was a man of many layers. Jefferson lived in Paris for five years and returned with many new favorite foods. Lincoln, of course, was a country boy. And Teddy? He was noted for his excellent appetite. Look under the sketch above for the answers.

Decisions, decisions.
The big decisions presidents make get the most attention, but they — like everyone — ultimately make the decision of what they’re going to eat. Day after day, these small but important executive decisions can add up to healthier living and more delicious meals.